How to get to Maine

There are several ways you can travel to Maine from catching a flight to taking public transportation but which option you go for largely depends on which state in America you're traveling from. If you're traveling from a neighboring state such as Vermont or New Hampshire then driving might be the best option and will give you more flexibility as you move around between cities or other destinations.

However, if you're traveling from a state that's further then flying is the quickest and most convenient way to get to Maine. Alternately, you can also take a bus or a train to various destinations in Maine with Portland being the most popular location to disembark.

Driving to Maine

Driving to Maine is beneficial for a number of reasons and not only because it allows you to take in as much of Maine's natural beauty as possible as you make your way through the state. Driving will also allow you greater flexibility when it comes to moving between cities or different regions. Another perk of driving to Maine is that you'll be able to travel to locations that are 'off the beaten track' or ones that aren't as popular among tourists without having to rely on public transport or other rideshare options.

However, driving is not always feasible especially if you're coming from states that are nearer to the west coast (unless you want to go on an epic road trip). How long it takes you to drive to Maine depends on where in the United States you're coming from. Traveling from New Hampshire to Maine will take you just over 4 hours while traveling from the nearby state of Vermont will take you close to 6 hours by car. Some longer road trips include New York to Maine (8 hours by car) and Ohio to Maine (14 and a half hours by car).

Road conditions

You shouldn't come to any major interruptions while traveling to Maine with most of the highways in and out of the state in good condition. In fact, reports have shown that Maine has the 4th best highways in the whole of the United States making driving around quick and easy.

You'll most likely have to make a routine stop for an inspection at state borders so keep that in mind when traveling.

Catching a flight to Maine

Catching a flight to Maine is the most popular option when it comes to travelling into the state with six commercial airports running services between other destinations in the country. Some of these airports are Augusta State Airport, Hancock County (Bar Harbor Airport), Bangor International Airport, and Portland International Jetport with the latter being the busiest.

These six airports are all in different regions of Maine so you should be able to easily fly into the city/area you're spending your vacation in.

The cost of flying depends on where you're travelling from and in which season you're travelling in as prices tend to go up when travelling in peak periods. To use an earlier example, flights between New York and Maine will cost you anywhere from USD$150 to USD$500 depending on the season, while flights from Ohio to Maine will set you back approximately USD$200 (on average).

Taking public transport to Maine

If you prefer not to drive or fly to Maine, there are ways to travel to the state via public transport. These options include catching a bus or a train with networks that are set up to deliver you to your preferred destinations within the state.

Catching a bus to Maine is fairly straightforward with several companies including Concord Coach Lines and Greater Portland Metro Bus offering services between neighbouring states and Maine. Popular routes include travelling between New York and Maine, Boston and Maine, New Hampshire and Maine, and Massachusetts and Maine. These services are equipped to take you to various locations within the state including Belfast, Camden, Bangor, and Portland, and start at USD $50 for a round-trip fare.

The United States' national train system, Amtrack, offers services in 46 states including Maine making travelling between Maine and the state you're coming from easy and efficient. With routes that will take you to Bangor, Augusta, Brunswick, and Portland (among others), arriving at your preferred region within the state is relatively simple and won't break the bank. While some train journeys can take a full day or even overnight (depending on which state you're travelling from), tickets are still fairly cheap, with an average price of USD$40. Ticket prices can go up depending on the time of year you're travelling in, the total distance of your journey, and what area of the train you prefer to sit in.

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